Pages

Thursday, 30 August 2012

As more people opt for stoves in their houses, more people are
choosing to train as chimney sweeps. The National Association of Chimney
Sweeps (NACS) has reported a growth in member numbers over the past
thirty years, from 30 to more than 450.
All new members are required to undertake compulsory training at the body’s HETAS-approved training centre.
Commenting on its success, thisisstaffordshire.co.uk
quotes NACS president Martin Cain as saying: “We are the only trade
organisation for chimney sweeps. We have just expanded to two units and
we are growing every year. We are protecting the consumer from the
horrors of chimney fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. We are not just
cleaning up soot these days. We are cleaning oil and gas chimneys. It’s
not just coal fires. We are now known as chimney sweep technicians
because there is so much more to it.”
NACS attributes the rising interest in woodburning stoves to a
combination of being desirable and offering a cheaper alternative to gas
and electric heating.
“There’s been a huge increase in wood burning stoves,”
Mr Cain states. “They are very fashionable at the moment and a new
generation of people want them. Also, with the rise in energy costs,
people are concerned about gas and electricity. We can replace gas and
electric fires with wood burning stoves.”
And when it comes to chimney sweeping, the trade has undergone a
major transformation since its early days – modern sweeps are as capable
of installing stoves as they are of sweeping chimneys. Forget about
images of small boys being sent up soot-laden chimneys and think instead
about protective clothing and modern equipment, as today’s chimney
sweeps use the likes of CCTV cameras to identify any issues.

Vice president Stephen Howard, a sweep since 1990, who coordinates
the training of new tradesmen, said: “Years ago a chimney sweep was just
what you see in Mary Poppins. Now, people’s perceptions are changing.
People want a professional job. Sweeps have specialist equipment like
CCTV cameras or smoke monitoring machines to find problems.
“We can deal with issues like birds in the chimney. We can put up a
bird guard to stop birds getting down the chimney, or we can remove gas
fires and replace it with a natural fire source.”
If you’re considering investing in a woodburning stove, you’ll need
to get the chimney swept first. This time of year is good for sorting
this task, as chimney sweeps are naturally less busy in the summer –
which is why buying a stove at the moment makes sense.
You’ll have time to decide which stove is right for you and you may
even be able to make the most of any summer offers, as well as easily
arrange for the chimney to be swept and the wood burner installed.

Friday, 24 August 2012

A New Forest hotel has introduced a range of green initiatives including a wood burning stove for hot water in a bid to keep its carbon footprint low.

The Standing Hat room at the Cottage Lodge hotel in Brockenhurst
boasts a wood burning stove that powers the hot water as well as a
bicycle-powered TV, and furniture made from recycled wood from the local
area.
Environmentally friendly, a wood burning stove is ideal for anyone
seeking greater heat efficiency. The energy rating of the average modern wood burner is in excess of 70%, compared to the maximum energy rating
of an open fireplace which is 25%. This means you get almost three-times
the heat from the same amount of logs because of the increased
efficiency, saving you money and helping you to be kind to the planet at
the same time. Plus, wood is virtually carbon neutral as it only
releases the same amount of carbon dioxide when it’s burned as it
absorbed during its lifetime – and if you buy your logs from a
sustainable source, a new tree is planted for every tree that is felled,
maintaining the carbon neutral cycle.
With a woodburning stove, you can even make your own logs from unwanted papers, newspapers and cardboard.
It is little wonder that business owners seeking to reduce their
carbon footprint are opting for wood burning stoves to heat their
premises and generate hot water. Recently, two new stoves were installed
as part of the Hardwick Hall renovation – and now a hotel in the New Forest has incorporated a wood burner into its green design.
The hotel’s owner Christine Simons said:
“Customers love cycling the bike that we have had installed to produce
energy for the TV. They want to light the fire to warm their water and
also enjoy sleeping in a stunning hand-made four-poster bed constructed
from a locally felled beech tree. It is sensual, inspirational, and
quirky. I wanted to show that being green can also be exciting and fun.
“I focussed on three things when constructing the eco room: reducing
waste, minimising pollution and using resources with the lowest whole
life impact possible. Reducing my impact is a lifelong commitment and a
labour of love.”
In addition to the room’s stove keeping hot water warm in the winter
months, there are solar panels on the roof to produce hot water in the
summer. Another key green feature of this hotel is its bicycle which
enables visitors to generate their own power for the TV – and if they
get too tired, the photovoltaic cells on the roof also create power. So
there should be an opportunity for hotel guests to unwind in front of
the woodburning stove and watch TV guilt-free, knowing that some of the
power was generated by their efforts on the bike earlier!
The bed and bedroom furniture were crafted from wood recycled from
the local area, and the windows, doors, tiles and piping are all
reclaimed or recycled.
Are you more inclined to stay at a hotel that has taken measures such
as installing a wood burning stove to be environmentally friendly?

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

With traditional Cast Iron Inserts and fireplace surrounds still incredibly popular and many purchased with the aim of keeping you warn in the winter, we take you through a few a few of the basics to make sure your polished areas stay as bright as gold.

Always check manufacturer's instructions first. Always
try a test patch first. If you are unsure as to whether the item you are
cleaning is suitable for our instructions, take professional cleaning
advice first.

What to use

Before you start it is a very good idea to prepare everything you
need so your not having to run off to find something in the middle of
cleaning.
For this guide I will be polishing a new Cast Iron Insert but old cast iron is not much different.

Metal Polish (you can also use WD40 or 3 in 1)

0000 Grade Wire Wool

Hoover

Lint Free Duster

Gloves

Step 1

Once you have your equipment you are ready to bring your cast iron to a beautiful shine.
Firstly you need to ensure you wear your gloves when using the wire
wool and polish. Take your metal polish and apply a small amount to the
your wire wool. With this start to rub the polish into the metal using a
firm hand covering a good sized area. Repeat until you have covered all
polished areas.

If you have an old cast iron there may be rust on the polished areas
if you do the rust will take some extra elbow grease but the majority if
not all should come off.

Stubborn dirt can be tackled with methylated spirits -
apply on soft cloths, changing them as you go until they come away
clean, and keeping away from any tiles as meths may damage them.

Step 2

When you have completely polished the cast iron using the wire wool
and polish take another piece of wire wool and work the surface of the
polished area to achieve a good level of shine you are happy with.

Step 3

Using a small amount of metal polish on a new piece of wire wool work
the polish in again to build a protective coating onto the polished
areas to keep the shine looking new.

Monday, 20 August 2012

The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) was formed in 2008 to promote the benefits of
wood-burning stoves and biomass appliances.

Its chairman is Phil Wood of NIBE Stoves and the deputy chairman is Hugh Wells of Charnwood Stoves.
With more than 35 members ranging from manufacturers and
distributors of stoves and flue equipment, its objectives are very much
supported by government initiatives to reduce our dependency of fossil
fuels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The SIA works closely with HETAS which is a government recognised
body for the testing and approval of biomass and solid fuel domestic
heating appliances, fuels and services, including the registration of
competent stove installers and servicing businesses.

Objectives of the SIA

To lobby and influence government on legislation affecting stoves to promote their benefits and environmental advantages

To promote and explain the benefits and environmental advantages of stoves as heating appliances

To maintain an independently audited system to monitor sales trends in the UK and Ireland

To provide a brief to the HETAS Technical Committee of those issues which fulfill the objectives of the SIA

To promote the nature of SIA member’s products
and services and how to assess the quality, safety and efficiency of
these products

To emphasise that the members of the SIA commit
to ensuring that their products meet the appropriate standards of
quality, safety and efficiency

The Stove Industry Alliance represents many of the leading and, in some
instances, household names such and such as AGA, Broseley, Charnwood and Firebelly in the manufacture, distribution and sale of
wood burning stoves and biomass appliances. The Stove Industry Alliance is working to help promote the use of wood-burning stoves.

Saturday, 18 August 2012

THIS lucky duck got a mum in a flap — after falling down her chimney straight
into a roaring fire.

Stunned Helen Marsh was watching telly at home when she heard a “whooshing”
sound and soot started billowing from her fireplace.
It got so thick she was forced to leave the room — returning to find the
flustered mallard sitting on her sofa nursing singed tail feathers.
Accountant Helen, 47, said: “We tried to catch it but our dog was going crazy
and the duck was flapping soot all over the place.”
She managed to trap it in her porch where it sat in a box lined with newspaper
until the RSPCA took it away to release into the wild.
The duck was thought to have been sat on Helen’s chimney stack — and lost its
balance.

Helen, of Solihull, West Mids, had to pull up her sooty carpets and
redecorate.
She said: “When I told my friends, they didn’t believe me — until they saw the
state of the room."

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Olde Englande Reproductions (O.E.R.) offer a Complete Collection of Exclusive
Fireplaces, award winning fireplace manufacturer's of solid timber/wood
surrounds, mirrors and interiors. OER are the number 1 UK manufacturer
for wood/timber fireplaces.
Currently holding the record in the UK for achieving the most
National Fireplace Awards for design and quality, this really shows just how much design and quality mean to OER. In addition they also
won the Horizon Award in 2009 and the much coveted "Wise Owl"
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

With over 33 years knowledge in the fireplace industry you can rest
assured that you will invest in a fireplace, fire or stove that has been
made with pride, ensuring the best quality, exclusivity and
reliability.
All their fireplaces are designed and manufactured in-house by a team
of craftspeople, allowing manufacture to size, material choice and colour
on most designs, also allowing the flexibility to adapt the fireplace to suit solid
fuel use.

Solid wood surrounds can be manufactured in Oak, Pine,
Mahogany,Maple,White or cream, all interiors and chambers are unique, including the Greystone Chamber and lighting kit featured on the Belgravia or the Beige Quartz of the Caledonion. The OER collection features some
of the finest hand carved exclusive fireplaces available and are all
British made.

Available have a network of "Approved Stockists" throughout the UK, for a
full professional service, we recommend you choose your nearest
stockist and they will
assist you in choosing your perfect fireplace.

Tuesday, 14 August 2012

A new smartphone app to encourage confident conversations between
home-owners and tradesmen was launched on Tuesday 19 June, at an event
attended by trade bodies and consumer protection groups.
Developed by TrustMark, the free app is designed to prompt homeowners
to ask the right questions when tradesmen are quoting for work.
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince
Cable (Right), was there to promote the app, saying that anything that
can reinforce consumer confidence is welcome.
“The new application provides another useful tool to consumers by
bringing TrustMark’s expert guidance directly to householders through
the latest innovative channels,” he said.“From several points of view this takes us forward. It’s good for the
consumers, it’s good for the trades, and it’s good for government
because we see a problem being solved.”
Following 11 simple steps, homeowners are able to write down answers
and agreed details at each stage and generate an instant record that can
be emailed to the tradesman.
By adding text, photos and audio recordings, an accurate record of
the conversation is logged providing clarity for both parties.
The app was championed by Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne and
Willingdon who also sees it as a valuable tool for Green Deal projects.
“This app will help protect consumers as well as providing support
for home refurbishment initiatives such as the forthcoming Green Deal
scheme which aims to help and encourage people to upgrade and improve
the energy efficiency of their homes.”
The chair of TrustMark, Liz Male (above), was particularly grateful
for the support shown by the ministers and their departments.
‘We understand that communication is vital to a good working relationship between a homeowner and a tradesman,” she said.
“The checklist approach helps people ask questions that they might
otherwise feel a bit awkward about, but which are essential when
considering employing a firm and agreeing the work in question.”
She highlighted the £2 billion worth of work that could be created by
the Green Deal yet falls outside of Green Deal funding and protection.“TrustMark is the only scheme backed by government that gives
protection to the 14 million households who will start commissioning
this kind of work,” she said.
“It’s a valuable safeguard for all builders and their customers.”
“For anybody who cares about consumer protection, consumer
empowerment, the reputation and growth of SME’s in the UK and the
reputation of our fantastic tradesmen, I urge you all, please give
TrustMark your full backing. Spread the word about the app and using
TrustMark registered tradesmen and help us build a strong and effective
scheme for the future.”
Research commissioned by TrustMark revealed that over half of British
homeowners (54%) admit they forget to ask the right questions when they
invite tradesmen into their homes to quote for a job, and almost one in
five forgets to ask a really important question.
Younger homeowners are particularly vulnerable and lacking in
confidence, with almost half (46%) turning to their parents for help.
Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute,
said it was all about empowering consumers to make the right decisions.
“It’s also of course about helping good business, and there are so
many good businesses that want to compete in a fair and equal market,
one that’s genuinely competitive and one that’s not subject to the
trials and tribulations that some traders may choose to introduce into
the market place,” he said.Paul Ramsden non-executive director at TrustMark said he thought an
app would be beneficial in order to keep up with current trends.
“There’s always a fear of something new,” he admitted. “You’ve got to
get to that tipping point where enough people are using it and get
comfortable with it.”
The Trust Mark app is currently available for iPhone, with additional
versions for other smart phones coming later this year. A paper copy of
the questions and guidance is also available.
To download the app, visit http://www.trustmark.org.uk/apps.

Sunday, 12 August 2012

Proud UK manufacturer Evonic Fires has added to their range of strictly showroom exclusive electric fires with a couple of eye-catching electric fires that certainly break the mould of black glass, flat hang on the wall electric fires that have become all too commonplace in recent times.
Named the Octane and Volante these two stunning electric fireplace suites offer a presence not normally available with hang on the wall electric fires. Appearing to float the Volante and Octane feature the same dancing ribbon effect that gives a truly unpredictable flame picture and white pebble fuel bed. The Octane is the smaller of the range and is shown left, while the Volante is 44 inches wide, offering the a contemporary alternate to small fireplace but without sacrificing floorspace, or requiring carpet to be cut around it.

The Calcite white top and bottom platforms create a stunningly modern aesthetic with the flame effect dancing below the 2kW remote control fan heater, capable of quickly taking a cold edge off a room. Contrasting the warm glow through the pebble and log fuel effect on the Octane that really helps create a warm ambience around the fire, even with just the flame effect.

Another brilliant feature on the Volante and Octane is the addition of slightly tinted glass strips either side of the flame effect, these can give stunning reflections of the flame effect, adding another dimension to a fire that already stands out from the crowd.

Friday, 10 August 2012

With the release of the more upmarket Apex Havana electric fires just behind us, Costa Fires have answered and have released the new level Costa Epic hang on the wall electric fire. Delivering a high-quality hang-on-the-wall electric fire at an incredibly affordable price without compromise.

The Costa Epic features the time-tested and popular ribbon flame effect with contemporary white stone fuel bed with the option of a vast range of trims to choose from. Ranging from the Epic Black Glass that gives a very contemporary finish to the strikingly modern Epic White Glass and for those with a more traditional decor the Apex Epic is also available with an Oak or Walnut effect fascias.

Featuring manual control with either 1kW or 2kW top venting fan heat with the option for fan only to help circulate air during warmer months. The Costa Epic is ideal for those that want a high-quality hang on the wall electric fire, but whose budget perhaps isn't big enough to stretch to the all singing, all dancing Apex Rio Grande Electric fires, or for those who just want a bargain

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Following from the massive success that Apex Fires have had with the Mirage Curved and Flat Widescreen Deluxe Electric Fires they have spent the last 12 months developing a successor, taking advantage of the increasingly popular and low energy LED flame effect and they have recently unveiled the fruit of their efforts, The Apex Havana. Available in both a Flat and Curved models, just like its predecessor, but the Apex Havana improves in a few key aspects and we are going to take a look into this and showcase the latest fire from Apex.

While similar in width the Havana electric fires offer a larger view of the flame effect thanks to a larger overall height, this allows you to enjoy the flame effect from wherever you are in the room.

Featuring the same backlight options but with a higher heat output of 2kW the Havana will help take that cold edge off a room very quickly. Also featuring luxurious features such as remote control and 3 different brightness settings of the flame effect, also choose from contemporary pebble, traditional log or stunning flame effect only options. The Apex Havana is an affordable luxury and certainly a fire destined to be very popular like the models it is replacing.

Monday, 6 August 2012

For those of us wanting to buy, or already own a wood or multi-fuel stove one of the thankless tasks related to essential upkeep of the stove is emptying the ash pan. This can be a very messy task and certainly not one that many people look forward to. If you're burning wood efficiently you shouldn't really have a lot of ash with some manufacturers such as Burley stating that Fuel is burnt so economically and completely that in tests the ash produced from burning a 100kg stack of logs can fit into a pint glass in one of their wood burning stoves. We have a quick look at some of the ways you can utilise the leftover ash from your stove.

Firstly you must let your ashes cool before doing anything with them, I have an ash bin - this is essentially a metal bucket that sits on the
hearth with plenty of clear space around it. I put my hot ashes into
this bucket and let them cool overnight before composting them or
throwing them away.
This avoids frequently walking around with very hot ashes in your stove's ash pan and is a neat way to let the ashes cool down.

If you're an avid gardener and looking for that extra little bit for your garden then remember that wood ashes are good for the ground. Mix layers of wood ash into your compost.It is also a good idea to add some layers of scrunched up paper or cardboard to allow air in to the compost heap, this returns the leftover, unburnt carbon to the soil and continues the Carbon Cycle. You can also use them to discourage pests like slugs and snails build up little walls of ashes between your vegetables & around your plants.
Coal ashes are not good for the soil as they contain concentrated levels of heavy metals and toxins and should be thrown away in your bin - once they have cooled.

If your path way has turned icy & you are worried about slipping you
can sprinkle ashes on the pathway to give yourself a safer footing.
Only use ashes from wood burning as it better for the ground - ashes from coal burning belong in the rubbish bin,
if you are concerned about the quality of your earth.